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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Manur(e, v. Also: -wr, -uir(e, -uyr, -eur, -our, -owr, -yr, mannure, -vir, -or; mainure, -er, maynur, -owr; menur; mynvr. [ME. manour, maynoyr (c 1400), -our(e, e.m.E. manure (c 1540), manner, AF. maynoverer, OF. manouvrer ‘to work with the hands’.]

1. tr. To have or enjoy the use of. 1454 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 14.
[To] vse and jois the profitis tharof [a tenement], manur, wedset and sel thaim 1457 Peebles B. Rec. I. 119.
The gud wif sal mannor thir thyngys qwil scho lefis 1458 Ib. 130.
Manwr 1519 Reg. Episc. Morav. 391.
That the new biggit seyt … be distrowit and ly waist … and at he haf na richt to manur nor appropir the samyn be na way of propirte c1590 Fowler II. 147/15.
That this man through some conceate of feare forbeare not to manure and beautifie his possessions

2. spec. a. To enjoy, occupy, have the use of; to utilize, turn to use; to farm (land). Also absol. (Passing into sense 2 spec. b below.)(a) 1423 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 37 (see Labour v. 1 (1)). 1451 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 163.
Jhone of Cullace … wrangusly occupeis and manuris certane landis 1490 Lennox Mun. 136.
Maneur 1493 Maxwell Mem. I. 204.
Manwr 1500 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I. 218.
[To] laubure manuyr and inhabyt the saidis landis in husbandrye 1500 Lennox Mun. 167.
To occupy, jois, laubour and manure the corne land and medow 1509 Newbattle Coll. (Somerville).
Manour 1519 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 53.
To haiff manurit part of medow pertenyng to thaim 1519 Buccleuch Mun. II. 136. 1522 Fife Sheriff Ct. 268. 1530 Lennox Mun. 235.
My lord … mynvrit and occupiet with his avne gudis the saidis landis 1531 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 47.
Manvir 1548 Rec. Earld. Orkney 235.
Tenne rygis land … quhilkis my spouse … and I now instantlye manureis and induellis 1559 Inverness Rec. I. 32.
Manyr 1567 Crawford Mun. Invent. II. 90 (5 May).
Mannvir 1584 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 197.
[To] saw ane auchlot peis yeirlie vpoun thair skairis in tyme cuming that the land may be the better manurit 1596 Dalr. I. 208/3.
To the Britanis delyuering it [his kingdom] to manure and inhabite [L. incolendum] 1642 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 91 (see Bruke v.¹ 1 a (b)).absol. 1537 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 367.
To labour and manur be west the said marchis … with cornis or ony vthirways(b) 1433 Liber Coll. Glasg. 167.
[So] lang as he maynuris it in the maner as is beforsaid 1457 Peebles B. Rec. I. 124.
Geyf thai wil noch [pay the rent] the lard wil maynowr hys land has lau wil 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 428/2.
The Kingis landis of Tarbart … quhilk the said James now occupys and mainuris 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 74.
Orchadie was inhabitat and mainerit be twa nations

b. To work, till, cultivate (land). Also absol.(1) 1513 Doug. iv. v. 72.
Ȝone woman … quhamto we For to manuyr [L. arandum] gave the strand of the see 15.. Newbattle Coll.
The said Ranald sall haif ane cottar duelland on the said land … to gud and manwr the samyn 1531 Bell. Boece I. lv.
The steirkis … ar … libbit to be oxin to manure the land Id. Livy II. 146/5.
The knichtis … reiosit to haue ane parte of the ȝere fre … to manure thare landis Ib. 202/17.
Ane parte of the landis that thair eiose mare than thai may manure or lauboure 1549 Compl. 43/23.
Kyngis and princis tuke mair delyit on the feildis and forrestis to keip bestialite and to manure corne landis 1555 Prot. Bk. T. Dalrymple MS. 14.
Thomas Colȝar gardnar wes licient … to gardin laubour & manur the ȝard and park of the Broutoun 1562 Bk. O. Edinb. C. XV. 49.
That Harbert Maxwell had revin out manuryt ane part of the commoun passage toward the Borrowloch a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxxi. 29.
To tak ane maling that grit laubor requyris Syne wantis grayth for to manure [Q. manuire] the land 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 722.
Gif that this man had till manure thame Bot aucht oxin into ane pleuch c 1585 Echt-Forbes Chart. 123 (see Labour v. 1 (1)). 1581-1623 James VI Poems 192/1487.
O would … The sword might changed be In ploughs for to mannure the land 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 134.
The frost is as needful for manuring the earth, as the south wind and soft showers are needful to loosen the earth 1646 Strathbogie 71.
They promised to manure said land [sc. a goodman's croft] 1659 Rothesay B. Rec. 27.
Mr Robert haid the saids lands in his possessioun and manuiret it out of his awin house at Lochly as gleib(2) c 1550 Corr. M. Lorraine 439.
absol. I desyrit the tennandis … to desyst fra brekin of the ground. … Nochtwithstanding thai haif menurit, quhilk is contrare ressoun and gud quentence

c. To cultivate, tend (a young fruit-tree). c1590 Fowler I. 113/32.
The plant That now soe will manwred is, and dois hir fruit now want

d. fig. To ‘cultivate’, ‘tend’, ‘foster’. 1596 Dalr. I. 10/23.
Thay manure justice [L. iustitiam colunt] and thay studie to politike effaires Ib. 105/11.
As … leirning … hes our myndes manured [L. excoluit] … elegancie hes policed our maners c1620 Z. Boyd Bion's Fl. App. 13/1.
Manure your heart with diligence and in it sow good seed